Audible signaling device for railway working



E. KIRK.

AUDIBLE SIGNALING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY WORKING.

AAPPLIcATION FILED oec. 22. |914.

1,194,190. PanteaAug. 8,1916.

M55/655% Y ,Ei Iggy-A EDWIN KIRK, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUDIBLE SIIGrNALINGt DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-WORKING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aue. 8, i916..

Application filed December 22, 1914. Serial No. 878,532.

To @ZZ '1U/tom t may concern:

Be it known thatl, EDWIN KIRK, a subject of the King ol England, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex, Engiand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Audible Signaling Devices for Railway-Viorking; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or l'igures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. j

This invention has 'reference to railway audible signaling apparatus, and it has for one of its objects to provide improvements which have for their effect, to insure the presence of one or more detonators on the running rail when the fixed signal is at danger, while another object is the provision of improved means whereby the apparatus operates automatically in the event of the fixed signal connections being fractured.

According to this invention, the appara tus comprises a beam or lever consisting of a boss part provided with arms or levers and with one or more projections; and a iixed part provided with one or more inclines and stops. The lever part is so arranged in connection with the fixed part, that when the detonator is 0E the rail, the projection or projections on the boss bear or rest on an upper part or parts of the inoline or inclines, the lever being maintained in this raised position by a connection with the fixed signal connections, or with an operating lever in a signal box or in some other position. `When the connections are released, such as when the fixed signal is to return to the danger position, or in case the connections are fractured, the lever part is rotated and caused to move the detonator on to the running rail; the projection or projections on the lever boss moving to the bottoni of the incline or inclines and vinto contact with the said stop or stops. The movement of the lever part is caused to take place, by the weight ofthe bossand lever itself, being specially made heavy for this purpose, or by means of springs or Weights bearing thereon, or by both. By the above construction, the detonator in its movement to the running rail is caused to travel from a plane higher than that of the surface of the carried on a suitable base, and

parts of thel apparatus.

riihe invention will be further described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate it, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the invention in use and applied in connection with a running rail. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of the appara-tus. Fig. 3 shows in elevation, a portion of the boss part, and the iixed part, illustrating the projection and the incline on these respective parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating a modification of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

In the apparatus shown in the drawings, ais the rotatable lever boss, and the fixed part, the latter being provided with a verticalpin or stud c on which the boss part is supported; l is the incline on the fixed part Z), and e is the stop. The projection on the boss part a is marked f, and is preferably formed with radial sides; and its lower edge or part bears on the incline d, and is adaptedl to move in contact therewith to and from the stop e.

g, 7L, are the arms of the levers; the arm or lever g being provided with means z' for the attachment oi a detonator y', and the lever le, being adapted to be connected by a wire or rod t to the iixed signal connections,

or an operating lever, in the usual manner, such connection or fixed signal not here being shown since any form of connection may be used and to so connect such a device to a fixed signal is well known to those skilled in the art, and no claim is made herein to any particular connection or operation of such connection.

l designates the running rail of the permanent way, in connection with which the lever g operates.

In one construction, the boss part a is comparatively heavy, so that its own weight is used to cause the projection f to move down part to move up and down according to the incline (l, and in so doing to rotate the boss part t about the pin c. This movement takes place when the rod or wire 7c is released, and by such movement, the arm of lever g is moved automatically toward the running rail Z, and the detonator y' placed in position; and the release is effected either by the operation of the fixed signal to danger, or by an operating lever, or by fracture of one of the connections with the lever h. As a modification, the boss part is caused to rotate about the pin c, and the projection to travel down the incline el, by means of a spring.

In Fig. 2 the upper end of the pin c is provided with a protective cap m, secured by any known means on the pin c, and when a spring is used, it is disposed beneath the cap m, and bears upon the upper end of the boss part a.

The stop e serves to limit the movement of the boss and lever, and so insures the detonator occupying the correct position, when on the surface of the running rail.

The projection f is provided with a rounded lower surface to facilitate its movement over the surface of the incline.

In operation, when the detonato-r is off the running rail, the projection f rests on the upper end of the incline (l, and as soon as the levers g, k, are released, the projection travels down the incline, and the boss part with the arms g, It, rotate about the pin c, and move the detonator to the surface of the running rail. The incline causes the boss whether it is rotated in one direction or the other, and thereby the detonator is caused to travel from a plane higher than the surface of the running rail when it is moved toward such rail, and so avoids any possibility of contact with the edge or side of the rail, and insures its being placed properly in position.

To prevent cinders, stones, and the like lodging on the incline (l and preventing the proper movement of the projection 7, a shield or protecting cover a as shown in Fig. 2, is provided. This shield or cover is adapted to inclose the lower part of the mechanism, and is attached to the base part o of the fixed part A modification of this means is shown in Fig. l, wherein the base part o is provided with a rounded upper surface p, which prevents the collection thereon of any of the substances referred to. g The central pin c is provided with an oiling aperture g, into which lubricant is introduced and maintained; such lubricant bemg supplied by the cross passage r to the space between the pin c and the boss a.

The base part is so constructed that it can be secured either to sleepers of the permanent way or to an independent fixing.

It will be understood that the incline will be formed at any suitable angle to enable the projection to travel toward the upper part thereof, and effect the rise of the weighted or spring pressed boss part, when the latter is operated from an operating lever; and at the same time, be su'liicient toV enable the projection to travel toward the lower part when the weighted or spring pressed boss part is released and is automatically moved by the weight or spring thereof.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. A device of the character substantially as described, comprising a lower member having an enlarged bottom portion, an upper member mounted concentrically and rotatably upon said lower member, an arm transverse said upper member and fixed thereto, detonator means upon said transverse arm and means whereby said upper member is raised and lowered when rotated upon said lower member, said means including an abutment to limit the movement of the arm to insure the detonator being properly positioned directly on the surface of the track.

2. A device of the character substantially as described comprising a lower member having an enlarged bottom portion, an upper member mounted concentrically and rotatably upon the upper reduced portion of said lower member and resting upon said enlarged portion, an arm Xed transverse said upper member and carried thereby, and means whereby said upper member and arm are raised and lowered and stopped at a determined point, said stopping means comprising a lug on the upper member and a lug on the lower member.

3. A device of the character substantially as described comprising a lower member having an enlarged bottom portion, said enlarged portion having a section of its upper edge downwardly sloped and a portion having a vertical wall, an upper member mounted concentrically and rotatably upon the reduced portion of said lower member and bearing upon said enlarged portion, means on said upper member having an edge coperating with said sloped upper edge of said enlarged portion to raise and lower the upper member when the latter is rotated, said lug having a vertical wall which engages the vertical wall on the lower portion to properly position a detonator on a track, and means on said upper member for holding and placing a detonator.

4. A device of the character substantially as described comprising a. lower member having an enlarged bottom portion, said enlarged portion having a' section of its upper edge downwardly sloped and terminating at a vertical wall formed in said portion, an upper member mounted concentrically and rotatably upon the reduced portion of said lower member and bearing upon said enla'rged portion of said member, a projection 186 depending from said upper member coperating with the sloping edge of said lower member whereby said upper member is raised or lowered upon rotation, said projection having a vertical wall which coperates with the Vertical wall on the lower member whereby to stop the upper member whereby to properly locate the detonator on a track, and arms carried by said upper member for holding and positioning detonators.

5. A device of the character substantially as described comprising a lower member having an enlarged bottom portion, said enlarged portion having a section of its upper edge downwardly sloped and a vertical wall, an upper member mounted concentrically and rotatably upon the reduced portion of said lower member and bearing upon the enlarged portion of said member, a projection depending from said upper member coperating with the sloping edge of said enlarged bottom portion, said projection having a vertical wall which coperates with the Vertical wall on the lower member, said Walls forming a stop, a spring for pressing said upper member downwardly upon said bottom portion normally with said projection at the lowest point of said sloped edge and detonator carrying means fixed to said upper member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN KIRK.

Vitnesses E. BALL, S. J. EARL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. l 

